


Stars between us

by LacePrince



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Keith, Altean lance, Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Galra Hunk, Galra Shiro, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Rating will go up, Slow Burn, galra keith is overrated we need furry shiro, lots of freakin hurt/comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2019-01-03 23:18:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12156825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LacePrince/pseuds/LacePrince
Summary: Nomatter how many times Keith tells himself that Shiro is the enemy; he can’t  seem to fathom it. Especially now when Shiro is shaking and exhausted- he's just so sweet, so gentle. Keith just wants to melt right into him- to hold onto him and tell him everything is going to be okay. Keith doubts it will be, but Keith just wants to see Shiro smile.//( -Or an altean Keith falls in love with his overly polite Galran prisoner named Shiro who happens to be pretty dang handsome. Also, theres a war going on in the background, but that's not as important )





	Stars between us

**Author's Note:**

> hey lol !! this is sooo self indulgent!!  
> i had a need for galra shiro lol ! this fic is going to be realitvley simple because it's what ive been working on to calm myself down after stressing about college lol its a big ol stress reliever.
> 
> pls enjoy furry shiro. ill be posting my designs for him, but for now im going to say he looks v similar to this au by theprojectava https://theprojectava.tumblr.com/post/164384555958/more-galraau-for-the-soul-because-im-dealing ! ofc there are some diffrences but i havent had time to draw it yet ( i will... eventually.... i lov galra shiro ) 
> 
> Also, this is a universe where Voltron doesnt exsist. The Galra homeplanet got destroyed, but Altea is still intact and it's pretty chillin. The Galra is in the process of trying to destroy them atm (albiet slowly), and their attacs on Altea are becoming more frequent. space travel is a thing in this au and will become a big part later on lol !! its basically the same voltron setting just without voltron . and like nobody is human . ( or are they??? sideeyes at pidge) 
> 
> ok !! this isnt spell checked completely so there may be some spelling mistakes ( Shiro purposefully speaks with bad grammar sometimes lol )

  
  


Inventability is a hard thing to understand.  That there is no going back, no stopping this from happening. Everything is set in motion, nothing can be done. But, Keith's stubborn fight rockets him forward. He's dashing, as fast as he possibly can, dirt and blood burning his mouth as he gags on his fear. He's outran any of his soldiers, his will outshining theirs. Or maybe, Keith was just plain foolish for running after a ship that was already well beyond taking off. 

Despite Keith's efforts- no sprinting could reach something that was already in the air. 

Finally, accepting his defeat, Keith slowed to a stop as soon as he saw the Galran ships start to ascend into light speed, their forms becoming nothing more then blurry remnants of what was once there, probably years away by now. Even if Princess Allura rallied her ships, there was no way to find them.

Keith knew they had not the slightest of ideas where they were taking Lance. The Galra had finally done it- they had taken the prince of Altea, a boy with power beyond belief. They had stolen Keith's best friend. 

Stumbling to a final halt, Keith dropped to his knees, his armour clinking with the ground. Watching the mothership finally leave, it's echo still hanging in the sky to mock Keith- he felt the bitter heat of tears streaking his face. The curl of sickening shock set in, hearing a couple of his men follow behind him, their boots pounding in the dirt. One put a supporting hand on Keith's shoulder, one Keith could not even feel due to the state of numbness Keith had fallen into. It was all fuzzy, all unaware, and even for a moment Keith's vision started to flicker. 

"Captain- we have to tend to our wounded," One said, as if Keith could even comprehend the fact that they had wounded. The words went right over Keith, and he watched the sun start to arch over the place the Galan ships had once been, signalling sundown. 

The battle was over, and though most of the casualties on the ground were Galran, Keith knew the Galra had won. Gritting his teeth, Keith uttered a curse to the sky- a promise that this wasnt over. His men are helping him to his feet, clearly worried about the deep wound in Keith's shoulder that Keith hadn't given himself a second thought. Warm blood oozed from the wound , staining Keith's white uniform with hatred .

"We have to find them," Keith whispered, "We have to. We can't let them-"

Before any of his soldiers could rationalize with him, Keith heard one of them gasp, and saw movement under the pinkening light of the sun. 

One of the figures who were slumped in the dirt stood. Their legs shook, and the way they held themselves clearly indicated some kind of injury. Keith watched them grit their teeth, and stumble slightly. They looked at the dirt, the bodies around them, and then, right at Keith.

The pained tension and sleepy dullness all but left when he met eyes with Keith. The figures ears stood pointed, his tail curling out from around his body. His furry ears flick towards the sky and he looks back- Keith watches his shoulders slump, and he knows he's been left behind. 

Keith could only think how small this Galran was. Well, for a Galran. He was a good two heads taller than Keith. but for his kin? He was puny. Puny and alive. Galrans fought to the death, but this one, this one had not. 

He looks slightly more humanoid than most Galran, but still a light shade of violet and furry all the same. His neck is fluffed up and he has a certain amount of scruff that’s standing on edge- almost leading up to a slight mane that blackens towards his head, white strands of what looked to be hair making up his fringe. A scar is prominent on the bridge of his nose. He looks strong, but not like a typical Galran soldier. He looked more Altean than Galran, but Keith didn't play that idea in his mind for any longer than a few seconds.

His ears are pointing downwards, but it's not an aggressive gesture as made prominent by the terror in his eyes. He's backing away as if he knows what happens next, that he doesn't have a chance- that he's looking straight into the vengeful eyes that belong to the royal soldier of the prince and princess of Altea. 

Keith considers nothing. Not that this Galran is bone thin, not that he's wearing clothes that would be fit for a beggar and not a soldier, not that he's clearly accepting his defeat and won't fight back. All Keith considers is this beast has information- information on where the Galran empire is- where they'll be taking Lance. 

Not caring about the burning pain in his shoulder, Keith is  rushing forward, charging the Galran. Keith meant to say words but he’s only screaming, an enraged battle cry leaving his throat as he sprinted towards him. Keith knows at least to not draw his sword, he had to keep this man alive to extract every little detail on Lance's location and how exactly they could stomp out the pest that was the Galran empire from him. The Galran reacts late, he's clearly in some state of disarray if not evident by the blood staining his lips and the way he’s clutching his chest. His legs tumble in themselves, and Keith’s got him before he even gets the chance to step in another direction. 

Slamming into his chest with a sturdy, armoured elbow- the Galran man lets out a pitiful yelp before colliding with the ground. He’s out cold, but his chest is expanding to signal he’s still got life. Keith has no idea how much he has in him, so he has to hurry. This life could only be temporary, and Keith’s key to finding Lance is resting within it. 

“We have a prisoner!” Keith announces, his voice raw with unfiltered rage that, in this moment, he couldn't fathom a way to vent it out.

A few of Keith’s soldiers come to gather the young Galran, securing cuffs to his hands and dragging him along by his underarms. He was completely limp, now, no fight in his body as his head lulled backwards.Keith stands panting, watching his soldiers start to drag him towards the castle. Another reminds him to take it easy, softly touching his shoulder to remind Keith that he is injured.

The rest of the altean army has grouped up near the castle, no doubt having informed the princess that her step brother has been taken- that Keith failed them.  _ No, he hadn’t failed them yet. He’d get Lance back.  _

This walk back to his kingdom, back to his castle and home without Lance- this walk was not one of defeat.  _ This was only a beginning. _ But, Keith couldn’t help but feel rage shake his core, his ribcage echoing with a silent scream of anguish that he refused to let go. 

Keith noticed their Galran hostage was awake. As two Altean soldiers dragged his otherwise limp body along, Keith noticed his eyes were open and  _ he was watching him.  _ His eyes were a strangely normal brown color, nothing like the bright yellows and sharp purples of most Galran.

Keith watched him right back. Despite the sleepy look in the Galran’s eyes Keith knew he was aware of exactly what was going on, and Keith was about to knock him over the head with the blunt casing of his sword. But, he didn't have to.

The galran closed his eyes again, accepting defeat, as if he were used to this treatment. 

  
  


/ ** / 

 

The Galran boy was growling, his ears pointed backwards now in a show of aggression. Finally, he was doing something somewhat normal, seemingly he had found some fight. Every time anyone would get to close to him he’d snarl- the fur on the back of his neck standing on edge. He still made no moves of attack, none whatsoever. It was almost like he was forcing this fight out of him, that he truly wasn't that scared. Or at least, he wasn’t the kind of scared that invoked rage. The fact that he didn't struggle against his cuffs was the giveaway that his snarling was only an empty threat. 

Two days had passed. Enough time for the message to spread throughout the entirety of planet Altea that their prince was gone, taken by the Galra- and it was also enough time for Keith’s injuries to heal mostly. Well, somewhat, his arm was still in a scratchy sling. The Altean nurses had even had the time to patch up the Galran boy, they also knew that he was a key component to finding Lance and went through the effort of keeping him alive. Which they did a good job on, the Galran looked much better, but still kind of dead. His eyes were cloudy still, and his legs had trembled on the walk here. He had been kept in the otherwise empty castle prison, and he had been polite about his stay. Keith hadn't heard a peep from him. 

They had cuffed him to a chair, now, the boy’s long tail swishing behind him- irritated. 

Keith can get a better look at him now, now that blind panic isnt clouding his vision. He’s young, as old as Keith. Though, this still doesn't explain why he’s so small for a Galran, Galran’s reach adulthood at the same age Alteans do. He’s got scars, lots and lots of scars covering his bare arms, all which the shirt the guards had dressed him in showed off. He’s got standard furry-Galran ears, these big things that work kind of like satellites- he keeps pointing them in different directions. A strong jaw, a strong frame, and a face that’s rather un-beastly. Honestly, he was quite handsome, if not for the odd circumstances. Keith’s never seen a Galran like this before. He’s even got this black stripe that travels up the nape of his neck and forms something like hair at the top of his head. His brown eyes are still as natural but yet unnerving as ever. 

The weirdest part about him other than how natural he feels is the replacement of his right arm. Below his shoulder his natural skin and bones arm is gone, and replaced with a sleek metal one. It’s strange, but not too strange for Galran standards.

No one has really spoken yet, this was kind of a pathetic interrogation. How long had it been since Alteans had a Galran in their prisons? Never. They had never had one. 

“Do you think he can speak?” One of the guards who are here ask. Keith’s interrogation is made up of himself, two guards, and Allura’s royal assistant Corran who just insisted on being here. The Galran squints, clearly confused by why that question would be asked.

“Of course he can,” Corran says back. That question was even obvious to Keith. Corran pushed towards the Galran, who immediately stiffens in his chair, letting out a cautious growl under his breath. “Hello!” Corran says, maybe a little too excitedly. Than, he’s saying something in Galran. Pulling back, Corran cups his hand to whisper to Keith- “I’m asking him if he speaks Altean.”

Just from the expression on the Galran’s face, Keith could tell he understood. Catiously, the Galran gulps, nodding. “A little,” he says, in Altean. The fact that this boy is complying so easily is shocking. 

“That makes things a lot easier!” Corran exclaims, folding his hands out infront of him, “If your unsure of any words, I’m pretty decent in Galran, so I can translate.” Corran is a little too excited to be speaking to this Galran, maybe because he hadn't spoken to one in ages- “I know most of the universe’s languages.” Corran’s bragging now, patting himself on the back.

“Ah,” The Galran says, buying into Coran’s little spectacle. He seems a little looser now. Which was weird. Who the hell is this guy?

Keith took up the offer that the short silence shared gave him, asking his first and only question- “Where is Lance?” Keith demands, leaning forward and pressing his fist to the round table they share. If only Alteans were a little more violent, Keith would have this guy in a chokehold right about now. 

“What is Lance?” The Galran cocks his head to the side, looking to Corran to translate. He thinks ‘Lance’ is a word, not a name.

“The altean prince, Lance,” Keith than shouts, not giving Corran the time to even consider answering, “Where is he?”

“Do not know,” Is the Galran’s answer. The Galran looks confused, but he’s slowly figuring it out in his head- Keith can tell from the focus in his brow. “Taken?” He asks, his Altean is broken but he’s trying his best.

“Yes,” Corran answers that time, “Do you have any idea what they want from him?”

Again, the Galran looks puzzled- “Do not know.” 

Something about this Galran is off, and Keith is sure of that by now. Galrans don’t comply so easily, don’t answer so honestly, aren’t so peaceful and seemingly alright with being a prisoner. 

The galran is thinking, as if he wants to give them an answer. “Balmera?” The Galran says, his tone questioning because he isnt sure. Keith gets all he needs from that answer- the Galran thinks they may be using Lance’s connection with the balmera  planets to do... Something. Something bad, no doubt.

“Alright,” Keith’s tone drags on aggressive as he closes in on the Galran boy. His ears pull back again, he’s showing his fangs now but Keith isnt intimidated by him in the slightest. Grabbing a fistfull of his white fringe to pull the boy roughly closer- he lets out a pained yelp but goes otherwise still, shaking under Keith’s grasp. He’s looking him dead in the eye, showing he’s still got some fight left. “-Where's the Galran empire than?” 

The Galran pauses. Than, he’s snarling again, whipping his head away. Keith had a few strands of white hair still in his hands- “Do not know!” The Galran’s getting angry, but his answer sounds honest. “Do not touch me!” Keith takes a step back, watching the Galran’s fight fade again, and he’s pointing his head towards the floor- ashamed. He’s scared, and for some reason Keith sympathises with him. This was the race that took Lance away, Keith’s enemy for years, and somehow he felt bad for this one. He looks conflicted and hurt, as if he’s considering something greater than being here. His eyes are wide- ears folding back, but yet his eyebrows are pressed in concern and thought. He's worried, he's scared- and Keith feels bad. Why on earth does he feel bad? This galran signifies everything Keith hates and yet he feels sympathy. Seemingly, this boy has no idea what's going on. He doesn't know what's going on with whatever their going to do with Lance, Keith can tell he's being honest . 

“Easy,” Corran soothes the situation, and Keith’s backing off without having to be told, “We don’t know how the Galran’s class system works, he could just be a civilian.”

One of Keith’s soldiers buts it- “Why was he part of their army, than?” He shouts, the Galran flinching over the volume of the shout. All of the people of Altea are up in arms, all of them are upset, and the angry voices of the planet’s population are evident in the guard's tone. The Galran is avoiding their eyes now, his ears switching nervously as he desperately tries not to catch any malicious intent looking his way- “He has to know something. Look at this thing, it’s clearly a weapon!” The same soldier shouts, gesturing to the Galran’s metal arm. The boy visibly tenses as the mention of it, moving his arm further behind his back. His position now looks tense, his shoulder straining to keep his arm out of sight. 

Apparently Keith’s previous outburst had given the other’s just enough courage to act out, Keith sparking whatever flame this guard had within him. They all wanted to find Lance, the whole kingdom would be a mess without their prince, and god only knows what the Galra wants with him. This was all too much, King Alfor had only passed years prior at the hands of the Galran emperor, it was much too soon for something so bad to happen. The resentment is clear as the guard grasps the Galran boy by the scruff on his neck and slams him into the table- another pitiful howl leaving the boy’s throat. He’s snarling, growling now- not at all happy with the gesture. 

“Do not touch me!” He’s roaring now, the amount of raw rage in his tone making even Keith feel a shiver rack his spine. He’s terrified, cornered like an animal- and apparently he doesn't like being touched. That’s what's setting him off. But how dare Keith interrupt? He was this guard's commander, but Keith didn't want to disrupt the pure emotion here, the mourning of their prince. This guard had every right to be mad, at least, in Keith’s mind he did. The Galran can’t get out of this hold at all it seems, he’s struggling but the cuffs on his wrist and the injuries on his torso are preventing him from prying himself free. 

The Galran lets out a sound that is more beastly than human, showing his fangs despite being pressed harshly into the table by the hands on him. “Tell us where your goddamn empire is, or so help me god-” The guard screams- and he’s pulling a weapon. Keith tenses for a moment, getting ready to make the call to back down- but, he sees that the weapon is only a taser. It’s not lethal, but Keith still takes caution.

“Don’t,” Keith says, his voice trembling. Some part of him doesnt want to see this Galran get hurt, but at the same time, it feels right. After all the pain this species had caused Keith’s people, it felt vengeful, it felt good. But sympathy crept in, some sort of common sense. This Galran boy was still hurt, if he died, they would really have no chance of finding Lance. Also, something about torturing this boy felt strangely inhumane despite him being the kin that he was. The guard who’s holding onto the Galran gives him a wide-eyed glare, like  _ how dare he.  _ Keith quickly explains himself- “We don’t want to kill him, he’s still injured. Go easy.” The guard understands, and turns back to the boy he’s holding down. 

“I’m going to ask again,” the guard says, anger trembling in his tone, “Where is our prince?”

The Galran boy coughs, his teeth are grit in pain. Possibly he’s irritating some injury in this locked position. Blinking, the Galran’s lips curl in a snarl and he repeats a familiar phrase, “-Do not know.” 

Than, he’s howling in pain. The guard doesnt hold the taser to his neck for any more than a second, but the spark that emits from the tiny weapon gives the Galran enough motivation to find it within himself to pull away. His legs buckle immediately, but that’s not stopping him. He’s crawling, shuffling his legs across the floor to force himself into a corner.  He’s trembling, the burn on his neck singeing the fur there a soft black- it had no doubt hurt him. 

The guard fires up his tazer again, a warning sign as it lights up with electricity. The Galran’s ears point forward but this time he is completely silent, his eyes going wide- 

“That’s enough for today!” Corran has the guts to announce. Keith sighs, almost in relief, somewhat thankful Corran had decided to step in. “Let’s try more later, he may still be in shock.” 

“I agree,” Keith echoes, “We’ll try again as soon as we can. Scaring him more is a waste of time.” Corran is right. If they keep scaring him nonstop, they’d never get answers out of him. He’d need a break to calm down more, so they could better rationalize. Maybe the reason he can’t remember is due to some form of shock.

Keith almost feels bad for him. He’s crumpled in the corner now, head buried into his knees. Keith thinks he hears him softly hiccuping, but he doesn't want to pay attention, doesn't want to feel anymore sympathy for this Galran. 

When the two guards go to lift him, to drag him back to his cell- Keith expects a fight. He expects the Galran to scream to not touch him, but he doesn't say a word. He just lets them. Maybe he really was in shock?

But, when the guards start to drag him again- he’s much too big to carry- Keith can see his face, the boy just looks sad. Not in shock, he’s completely aware of everything evident by the twitching and curving of his ears whenever a noise echoes through the room. Just.. Submissive. Something about the look in his eyes looks so incredibly somber that Keith can’t stop looking at him, can’t stop considering how deeply miserable he looks. His face fits this misery, as if he’s been used to it for years. 

The Galran was looking right back at him but it wasn't malicious. He seemed just like he was watching Keith, maybe taking in slight consideration on the fact that he was being watched. But other than that, the brown-eyed-Galran was completely uninterested.

“I’ll see you at dinner Keith, yes?” Corran asks, snapping Keith out of his trance. Corran’s heading through the door opposite to the one Keith would be traveling through to return their prisoner to his cell. Something about Corran seems sad, also, but he’s trying to pull his jolly nature out as best as he can. Keith sees right through it, but fakes a smile for him.

“Yes,” Keith answers, nodding. He catches Corran smile sadly, and they part ways as Keith heads off with his two guards and the Galran. 

Nearly kicking the Galran back into his cell, the two guards are heading back down the hall from whence they came. The cell isn’t much, it’s completely barren besides the boy in it. It’s grey. The caslte prison is scary, its so unlike anything else in Altea and goes entirely unused for the most part. It just has this overall feel of abandonment, and its honestly strange that this entire prison is only occupied by this one boy. He’s gathering himself at the moment- when they had pushed him in he had landed on his stomach. Pushing himself into a kneel. He touches his wrists where the cuffs once were, his clawed fingers softly grazing his skin. He notices Keith watching him, his ears twitching upward and he points himself at Keith. As soon as his eyes meet Keith’s, Keith felt himself jump a little. 

Why were Keith’s feelings so jumbled about this Galran?  _ Who was he?  _ He wasn’t like any Galran Keith had ever met, but yet, he was clearly one of them. He had the same mannerisms and the same purplish fur, he made the same noises and spoke the same language- but his personality was so vastly different in the short time Keith had known him. The fight he had put up was only when he felt directly threatened and it was so short lived Keith didn't even know what to think of it.

“Commander!” The two guards call from down the hall- “Are you coming?”

Keith gives himself a moment to think. No, he has questions for this Galran. Questions that hopefully won’t intimidate him and send him into that strange state. “No,” Keith hollers back, “I want to stay for a bit. Go on ahead.” The two guards exchange a shrug, and they leave the castle prison seconds later.

Keith bends down, getting down to the Galran’s level as to not intimidate him. He curls his fingers around the bars, watching the Galran boy watch him. Cautiously, the boy moves slightly backwards, but still sits mostly in the middle of his cell. He must feel safer in here with these bars between them, though Keith could easily press his hand to the identification and open the cell in moments. The Galran boy is sitting on his knees, his tail slowly curling around his thighs. The nurses had him dress new clothes- a simple white shirt and pants, which was honestly an upgrade from the tattered mess he had been wearing earlier. Why would any reputable army send in a soldier with tattered clothes like that? Than again, Keith had seen a few others with the same tattered clothes lying dead on the battlefield, but none of them had such a fancy weapon attachment. The Galran’s arm is clearly high end, it’s one of the more fancier ones Keith has seen. Certainly, it is nowhere near the ones they put on the bigger soldiers, but it is made out of a sleek and precious looking metal.

The Galran is watching Keith, and Keith watches him right back. Finally, Keith settles on a question to ask. “What is your name?” Its a good start, Keith decides.

Possibly it's _ too good _ of a start, because the Galran gives him a weird look. Like a  _ What kind of question is that?  _ Kind of look. Keith urges him with the wave of his hand though, and the Galran’s voice slowly creeps out of him. He’s got a nice voice. It’s nothing like the deep gravelly voices or smug trickery the other Galrans hold in their tone. Its smooth, soft yet firm, and Keith can tell its a part of the reason he slightly trusts this Galran. “Do not have one,” The Galran says, shocking Keith with his answer, “Most call me Champion.” 

_ Champion. _ It was a word that was shared between the Galran and Altean tongues- Keith knew it was a word, certainly no  name. It was a word for a winner, a word to describe someone that concurs all- but something about the way this Galran described it seemed degrading. Despite his matter-of-fact tone, he seemed as if the use of the name saddened him slightly. 

“Champion, huh,” Keith notes, tapping the cell’s bar that he has grasped in his hand with his index finger- “That really isnt a name.”

“It is not.”  _ Chapmion  _ says. Keith really doesn't want to call him that. It feels insulting in a strange way despite the word being positive. “You have no other name?”

He’s growing closer, only slightly, his tail slightly unraveling out from his body-  He’s growing braver. He’s thinking, as if deeply considering something for a few moments before his mouth cautiously forms around the name.

“Shiro,” Says the Galran. That’s more like it, a more normal sounding name. Keith sighs, and nods. Shiro the Galran is than speaking up again, his voice unsure.

“Alright,” Keith replies, before pressing a hand to himself- “I’m Keith Kogane, commander of the Altean army.”

“Young,” Shiro notes, not in a bad way. Yes, Keith was very young to be in charge of the Altean army. But, it wasn’t his fault he was better at fighting than anyone else here. 

“You are too.” Keith replies back, and Shiro is nodding, his ears folding downwards. He’s no longer listening for any warning signs, letting his guard down. 

“Ask you?” Shiro doesnt get the grasp of grammar, but he does have a general sense of word which is good. Keith can get the jist of what he’s saying- and it seems Shiro wants to ask him a question. Altean is a tricky language, Keith wonders how he knows it.

“Go ahead,” Keith nods, spurring him onward.

“I can have something to write with?” Shiro asks, gesturing what he means by forming a pen-writing motion with his hands. It seems like a harmless request, and Keith nods without much thought.

“I’ll have one of my guards drop it off.” Keith answers, and Shiro perks up- _ if only a little. _

Shiro thanks him in Galran. Keith doesn't know much Galran, he at least knows what thank you is. 

It’s strange. A member of this bloodthirsty kin is sitting in a cell without fighting back, even thanking Keith. Even asking him for things, even telling him his names. It’s all kinds of odd but Keith finds it strangely endearing. 

“Your prince,” Shiro brings up, startling Keith out of his thoughts- “-Was taken in the fight?” Keith nods, and Shiro is biting his lips. He seems neutral about it, like he doesn't have any opinion at all about it. “Ah.” 

“Why?” Keith urges on, as Shiro seems peaceful at the moment, he doesn't feel as if he’s prodding him. Apparently Shiro doesnt either, because he answers.

“Not sure,” Shiro starts, pausing to lick his hands. Keith finds it gross- but he notices Shiro is simply grooming, he’s bringing his hands up to his ‘hair’ and flattening down any loose strands, “Wouldn’t kill a prince.” Shiro says and something about that is relieving, “May put him in the fight. May die there.” That’s not comforting, especially since Keith has almost zero idea of what Shiro is talking about. Now Shiro’s broken Altean is an issue.

“Fight?” Keith asks, and Shiro’s nodding, saying something in Galran that Keith doesnt understand. “What?”

Shiro grits his teeth, making a motion with his hand as if he’s trying to coax the thoughts out of his head- “Like, hmm. Fights. Fight area.”

“A battlefield?” 

“Nono, different,” Shiro shakes his head, “Sand and, other Galrans watch.  _ The fight hole.”  _ Okay, now Keith is completely lost. He blinks at Shiro a couple of times, and Shiro snorts in defeat. “Sorry.” He apologises, and Keith shakes off his words. It seems Shiro is genuine, genuinely trying his best to relay to Keith whatever information he knows. Which is weird. Even if this Galran is different, why would anyone in their right mind give up information to someone who had them trapped in a cage? Does Shiro expect to be let go if he complies? Keith has no idea what the outcome of this boy will be but he has a feeling Allura will give him a execution sentence. They can’t have some Galran running around. 

“It’s fine,” Keith reassures, he’ll bring Corran down later to translate so it’s easier for Shiro to relay his information- “Where did you learn Altean?”

Shiro shrugs- “Around.” Shiro says, “Hear others speak.” Its strange, because it implies there is Alteans where Shiro lives. Than again, Altean is a common language spoken by even those outside of the Altean race. Most higher Galrans did know Altean. It wasn't too out of the ordinary that he knew it.

Keith decides this is enough for now, it’s almost time for dinner. He still had to change the dressings on his arm wound. he stands, letting out a groan as his legs are tingling from the awkward position. Shiro scoots backwards again, his ears turning upward to show he is alert and ready if Keith decides to barge in. “I must go,” Keith says, and Shiro cocks his head to the side like a dog of some kind. 

Shiro is calling to him, it’s something in Galran. It sounds friendly so Keith assumes it is some sort of parting words. Keith returns it with a simple wave, somewhat unsure if Shiro really had been saying goodbye. Maybe he was cursing Keith out, or swearing his death- but honestly, Keith thought that would be pretty uncharacteristic for this Galran. How strange that Keith would be doubting a Galran wished ill intent. 

Facing princess Allura is an imposing thought. Even though he is close with her, he was basically raised alongside her- without Lance by her side the thought of her is strange and disfigured in Keith’s mind. She is upset, Keith already knows this and he has known it for two days. Not only had Altea lost their prince, but they had lost a brother and a friend. It’s made even more strange by the fact that Keith was just talking to a Galran, and sympathising with a Galran- the bane of Allura’s existence. Of course, Keith doesn't bring up any of his emotional connection with the Galran at dinner, and instead dinner's sad and quiet but peaceful at the least. Keith knows him and Allura are both glasses waiting on the edge to be tipped, and as Corran who is the only other person dining with them tries to lighten the mood by telling of his days when he was younger, Allura and Keith both do not speak. They are both afraid in starting some argument with one another, this always happens when tensions are high. But, Keith can tell just from the look in her eyes, Allura isnt just refraining from speaking- she just genuinely doesn't know what to say.

The chair next to Keith is painfully empty. The one where Lance normally sat. 

Keith hopes he’s doing alright. Hope is all anyone can really do right now.

 

/ ** / 

  
  


The next time Keith visits Shiro, it’s two days later, with Corran at his side. “We’ve seem to hit a languedge barrier,” Keith says, walking down the hall, “I was hoping you could help us overcome it. I was asking him things the other day, and he brought up something called a fighting hole which is where he think Lance may be. Though I’m pretty sure ‘fighting hole’ isnt the right word for whatever he’s trying to explain.” 

“I’ll do my best!” Corran chimes in his ever enthusiastic way- “I’m a tad rusty with my Galran.” 

Keith nods, hoping Corran can translate properly for him. Allura has refused to even step in the prison, she wants to stay as far away from their prisoner as possible. The fact that they have a Galran soldier in custody has spread quickly throughout the kingdom, and everyone is waiting with bated breath to see what he says. Of course, they’re probably all picturing some beastly , wicked monster. They’d be shocked if they saw the man they had in custody was actually just some Galran runt who seemed to be completely lost most of the time. 

When Keith bends down infront of his cell, Shiro already knows of his presence. Keith has no clue how sensitive those ears of his are, but Keith can tell they’re a major part of his senses just from the way he points them everywhere. “Hi, Shiro,” Keith greets quietly, and Shiro pulls his body in close. He had been sitting on the floor before, now he’s sitting on the floor in a much tighter position. He’s cautious. 

“Hello Keith,” Shiro replies back, his voice tense. He swallows.  Keith spots a pen in his hand, and the open notebook Keith had asked one of the guards to give to him open infront of him. Before Keith can bring up translations and that stuff, Keith wonders what Shiro is using his notebook for. Maybe this is where he is writing all of his secret plans? That this whole playing-dumb thing had been an act?

“Can I see the notebook?” Keith asks, and his suspicion goes down the drain when Shiro hands it over without hesitation. Shiro won’t get any closer than he is, so he swats it over with a quick flick of his wrist. Keith slips his hands through the bars to grab it and open it up.

It’s a mix of Galran and Altean, which is surprising. The first few pages are comprised of mostly Galran, where the last few are mostly Altean- though, there is a steady mix of both languages. Corran confirms what Keith immediately started to think.

“Ah, he’s using it to learn Altean!” Corran chimes, and Shiro nods.

“I have been overhearing the guards,” Shiro says, and from that sentence alone Keith can tell Shiro has improved greatly in the span of a couple days. Flipping through Shiro’s notes briefly, Corran reads it over as well just to double check for any malicious words buried in Galran letters. But, Corran seems content with it, and slips it right back through the bars. “Galran and Altean aren't too different,” Shiro says, taking back his notebook, “Hasn’t been too hard.”

Keith’s impressed. It’s almost endearing that Shiro is taking the time to better learn their language. It’s so incredibly polite, and yet, Shiro is technically a prisoner of war. The last thing that should concern him is how he communicates with his captors. “I should be able to better communicate,” Shiro says, and Keith is completely dumbfounded. How the hell?  _ Shiro must be.. Pretty smart.  _ He’s using an excessively formal version of Altean, probably just due to the fact it’s less structural than the more casual things. He’s just using whole words instead of shortening them, its probably easier for him to understand. 

“Well, uhm,” Keith coughs, clearing his throat- “Shiro, this is Corran. He’s the princess’s butler.” 

“Yes!” Corran chimes in, “Your name is Shiro?”

Shiro nods, than pauses- “It’s not my name but some call me that.” 

“It’s a nickname?” Keith asks, than. Shiro thinks on it for a moment.

“What is a ‘nick’?” Shiro asks genuinely, grabbing his pen excitedly. This Galran sure does enjoy learning, it seems... Again, Shiro is so unlike any Galran Keith has ever met. 

“Nevermind,” When Keith says that, Shiro visibly saddens- dropping his pen. “So,” Keith starts- “I wanted to ask you what you meant yesterday when you were talking about some fighting area?” 

Shiro’s eyes widen in recollection- “Yes, the fight hole.” So, Shiro still hasn’t figured out that ‘the fight hole’ he is referencing does not have an Altean equivalent.  

Corran picks up the slack, butting in in Galran. Shiro is clearly engaged, his ears pointing upwards as he listens to Corran speak. Shiro is nodding, Keith unable to distinguish any of what the two are talking about. Than, Corran stops. “It seems he’s talking about a gladiator pit.” Corran informs, and suddenly everything makes a lot more sense. 

Of course Keith knows what they are, but they’re highly illegal in Altea. The Galrans have been rumoured to love them, though, to the point where they would capture people and creatures from other planets just to watch them collide for amusement. It almost made sense they would put Lance there. Surely, Lance was powerful- and the Galra loved to mock Altea in any way they could, and putting Lance in a gladiator pit would assure that. But, Keith still had a feeling they wanted Lance for something more. 

But wait, even if they want him for something more they could still put him in the damn pit. 

Keith’s feeling some kind of protective rage claim him, and Corrans also looking increasingly worried. “I do not know much,” Shiro cuts in, “I do not know that for sure. It makes sense, at least to me.” Shiro pauses- “Or the balmera.” Shiro than notes. The altean royalty have connections to the balmeran planets, the Galra could want that power to create crystals to power their ships at an insane rate. 

Then, there is silence. Keith doesn't notice it for a moment, because he is thinking. He can assign soldiers to spy on the Balmera- though the Balmera is taken over by Galrans they can certainly run an undercover mission.  “I can send out a small fleet to the Balmera, possibly we can intercept Lance there,” Keith announces to Corran, and Corran is nodding. “This isn’t certain, though. We still need to find a way to find their mothership if nothing turns up.”

Keith and Corran both sigh in unison. They had to find one ship inside of an infinitely big galaxy. But, Keith would do it, he had to do it. “You’re sure you dont know where the mothership is, Shiro?”

Shiro shakes his head to Keith’s dismay. “I do not know.” He says, “I do not see the outside of my ship often. Besides, Most Galran that know coordinates are higher class.” Keith can still pick up where his grammar is wrong and broken, but he’s doing a great job for four days of being here. His wounds have healed slightly too, he looks more alive now. His fur is matted in some places though, and as soon as Keith notices a slightly mused patch on his arm, Shiro is licking it down. Nibbling on the skin- Keith had no idea Galran’s groomed themselves but it made sense. Shiro’s tongue looked like a cat’s from what Keith could see. 

Keith sighs, giving Corran a look. “I think that’s all,” Keith says, and Corran nods. 

“I’ll help in anyway I can,” Corran replies, “I want Lance back as much as you and Allura.” It was true, Corran was somewhat of a father-figure to Lance- or maybe, a weird uncle-figure. 

“I know,” Keith finds a sad smile, and with a wave him and Corran are parting. 

As soon as Corran is gone, Keith hears the sound of Shiro scribbling away. He’s got the book propped up on his knees, sitting in a lose fetal position.

“Hey,” Keith says to grab Shiro’s attention, which it does, “Do you want help?”

“Help?” Shiro asks, cocking his head to the side again- “With what?”

Keith presses his hand to the identification, and the bars in the cell retract. Shiro jumps, skittering backwards- Keith’s holding out his hand- “Hold on, it’s alright, I’m not going to do anything.”

Shiro’s sceptical. He’s giving Keith a warning look, his lips curled in a silent snarl. Keith sits, patting the space next to him. “C’mon,” Keith prods, Shiro’s expression dropping from anger into average confusion.

It takes Shiro a few moments, but he’s cautiously crawling closer. He keeps a distance between them, probably a good three feet, but besides that he is technically sitting next to Keith. Keith opens his hand- “Can I see your notebook?”

Shiro hands it over easily again. Keith, flipping through the pages, stops at one. “Look, see-” Keith says, and Shiro is cautiously leaning closer as Keith attempts to seal the gap between them. “- In Altean, you can combine certain words. Like, do not becomes don’t. You can’t do that in Galran, right?”

Shiro shakes his head ‘no’- “Do not becomes don’t.” Shiro repeats, under his breath. 

“But do not is also correct. You could say either, it’s just shorter saying don’t.” Keith passes the notebook back. Shiro takes it in stride, excitedly scribbling down his findings in it. “You can do that with other words, like, have not becomes haven't.” Keith explains, and he can tell Shiro’s paying excellent attention. He’s so excited about learning Keith’s language... 

They go on for a while. Keith teaching him new words and helping him on better structuring his grammar. Something about it is pleasant. Something about it is something Keith hasn’t felt before, talking to this Galran. Watching the way Shiro’s eyes lit up whenever he learned something new, or the way his brow would crease when he was focused- it was endearing. He was so attentive. 

By the end of the afternoon, Keith had noticed the space between him and Shiro had closed. Shiro was inches from him now, sitting with his legs crossed and his little notepad resting on them. 

“Shiro,” Keith whispers, his voice so soft he’s surprised Shiro even hears him, “Who are you?”

“Who am I?” Shiro repeats, confused by the question. 

“You’re so different,” Keith says, “Most Galran I’ve met arent...  _ Like you _ .”

Shiro has emotion, Shiro has sympathy and an understanding for beings outside of himself. He isnt like the anger driven Galran Keith has met. Galrans are famous for being blood thirsty and wrath driven, but the way Shiro moves and acts- its soft. He is not weak, no- Shiro carries himself with pride even while cowering, but something about it is gentle and caring. 

Shiro snorts, clearly offended. “It’s a good thing-” Keith stammers, and Shiro’s shaking his head.

“Don’t put us all into one group,” Shiro snorts, chewing on the end of his pen in between his words. He thinks for a minute, then sighs, as if defeated. “I guess I am not like most Galran, though. You are right.” Keith almost laughs, but he simply lets out an amused huff. 

“Why is that?” Keith asks, Shiro sighing. He runs a hand through his hair, avoiding one of his ears.

“Long story,” Shiro’s voice is suddenly exasperated, and he’s looking the other way, “Don’t want to talk about it.” Shiro can probably feel the doubt that this statement brings out of Keith- “It is not anything of concern, I swear.” 

Keith decides to let it go. Seemingly, Shiro has almost no direct connection with his empire. Keith can safely assume he’s of lower class, though that still doesn't really explain his fancy arm. It seems like a sore subject for Shiro. 

Keith only stays around for a few minutes later. He leaves shortly after, wishing Shiro a good night as the Galran boy curls up around himself on the floor like a cat. He seems alright with sleeping on the floor, which is strange considering the floor is hard and cold. He snorts, rolling onto his tummy. “Is that cold?” Keith asks, wondering if Galrans possibly have higher cold resistance, or if they get there heat differently than Alteans. Biologically, Keith doesn't know that much about them. 

“I’m fine,” Shiro says briskly, and Keith can tell he is lying, but he leaves it at that.

Keith sighs, closing his cell back up. There isn't much Keith can do about it, anyways. “Alright, have a good night,” Keith is wishing him, feeling bad and off about leaving Shiro cold and on the floor.

Shiro replies  with another Galran phrase that Keith somewhat understands. Keith is pretty sure it’s direct translation is something like  _ ‘may the stars kiss.’  _ It's a surprisingly sweet-sounding phrase for such a bloodthirsty race. Keith finds himself smiling, and he turns one more time to look at Shiro over his shoulder as he walks away. 

 

/ ** /

 

There was a thunderstorm that had compelled Keith down here, back to the castle prison. It was a loud, booming sound that rattled the whole castle. They hadn’t had a storm this bad in a while. It was as if Lance’s absence upset even the planet itself. Keith had already taken care of his duty, him and a small armada had done a quick sweep of the kingdom to make sure the citizens all had a shelter to stay in. Normally during storms, Keith liked to curl up in his room in the castle and enjoy the sound of rain thundering on his window, but tonight, something urged him to go find Shiro. It was still so strange- the fact that Keith cared for him - but Keith wasn’t one to rationalize with his gut feelings and he was marching down into the castle prison. Passing the guard who stood in front of the door to the prison, Keith didn't offer explanation. 

The suspicions Keith didn't even know he had were true when he entered the castle prison. Walking down the empty corridor, Keith found that Shiro had forced himself into a corner of his cell. 

He’s got his hands over his ears- flattening them down. Everytime thunder booms, Keith can feel it rattling his heart- he cant even begin to imagine how loud that is to Shiro. Keith feels like he’s watching a beloved dog curl up underneath a table during a storm, but Shiro is rational and has a much more complicated mind than a dog. Keith can speak to him. 

Shiro notices Keith’s arrival. His eyes are tight and clenched, but he opens them a little to find Keith.

“I’m alright,” Is the first thing out of Shiro’s mouth. “Please, I am fine. I cannot do questions right now, it is too loud.” Keith figures just from those words Shiro doesn't want to talk right now, but Keith is cut off before he can even think of something to say- “What is that?” Shiro hisses.

They must not have thunderstorms. That makes sense, the Galran empire is simply a huge group of big ships that float through space. 

“It’s thunder,” Keith explains, pressing a hand against the bars of Shiro’s cell- “It won’t hurt you. Sometimes the clouds make that noise when it storms.” Keith feels bad. Shiro looks distressed. But, Keith has a feeling it isnt just because the noise is too loud. Something in Shiro’s eyes looks like he’s recalling something, something painful. There wide now, as if he’s painting a image inside his head. An image that is horrifying him. The sound of the thunder, the howl of the wind- something about this storm is reminding Shiro of unpleasant memories. 

Keith’s no good at words, not in a situation like this. He’s dumbfounded, until another loud bang of thunder rocks the ground- and Shiro yelps.

Keith opens the cell without hesitation. He’s joining Shiro on the floor, sitting a good distance away to make sure he’s not stressing the boy out. “I am fine,” Shiro repeats, he’s being stubborn- “Go home.” Theres a certain amount of shame in his eyes, but at the same time, he’s absolutely terrified. 

“It’s not just the noise,” Keith says, voice stern. Shiro’s looking at him, his hands falling to his sides, “It’s something more, isnt it?” When Keith asks this, Shiro’s eyes dart away, and he’s opening his mouth to tell Keith a excuse or some stubborn lie to get Keith to go away. But Keith isnt backing down. Something about Shiro makes him seem like he needs help, something about him is deeply sad and Keith wants to help. He’s decided right now, he needs to help. “Isnt it?” Keith shouts it this time, over the roar of the rain. Shiro closes his mouth, swallowing. 

Finally, Shiro’s whispering- “I don’t want to say.” Shiro whispers. His eyebrows are furrowed and his body tight. He looks more ashamed now, until another boom echoes through the prison. Shiro catches Keith off guard with a sudden shout- “Stop!” He cries, directing his scream at the storm. He’s pressing his hands to his temples, his eyes shutting tight as he tries to block out something thats clearly trying to haunt him. His teeth grit, he’s snarling, as if the memory is getting the better of him. 

Keith’s sympathy spikes, and he reaches out. Breaching the space between them, he takes a chance- touching the back of Shiro’s head. The touch is soft enough that Shiro doesnt jump, he hardly notices. Its when Keith smooths his hand down the nape of Shiro’s neck when Shiro realizes Keith’s touching him. He’s slowly opening his eyes, looking at Keith. Shiro stares at him, wide eyed- his pupils dilated and his breathing harsh. 

But, he’s not flipping out, Shiro’s alright with being touched like this.

Keith tries his hardest to soothe him, but he’s really just awkwardly petting Shiro’s hair. Shiro seems to likeit though, because immediately he’s loosening up. His ears point back, and he’s gulping, looking towards the floor. He’s no longer gasping for air,  he’s just sitting there, letting it happen. His eyes are wide still ,but seemingly it’s just because he’s spacing out now. Every time the thunder sounds he flinches, but it doesn't escalate other than that. Keith can’t find words, but he sure as hell can do this. The fur on the back of Shiro’s neck is soft and thick, pleasant to the touch. 

By the time the storm is over, Shiro’s eyes are fluttering. He’s exhausted, and his eyes are puffy. 

“I’m sorry,” Shiro croaks, his voice tired. He looks tired, not physically, but mentally.

“Sh,” Keith replies sharply, “It’s fine.” 

Shiro looks at him head on. Keith pulls his hand away, and now its his turn to shyly avoid eye contact. With as gentle as Shiro comes off, his appearance is also strangely striking. Keith can’t remember the last time he felt intimidated. The intimidation he feels around Shiro is a good kind, as Shiro isn’t trying to be threatening right now. If anything, its the exact opposite. He’s raw, completely open for Keith to see. Dare Keith say he’s attracted to him? No, Shiro was Galran, that couldn't be true. He’s got big funny animal ears and makes noises that sound like a weird dog sometimes.  _ Shiro is the enemy. _

Nomatter how many times Keith tells himself that though- _ that Shiro is the enemy _ \- he can’t fathom it. Especially now, when Shiro is shaking and exhausted from the panic attack he had moments ago, Shiro seems like such a sweetheart. Keith just wants to melt right into him. 

But Keith has to go. He can’t stay here. But, just to sleep easier, Keith gives Shiro the robe he had been wearing- “So the floor isnt as cold,” Keith explains, giving it to Shiro. Shiro doesn't say anything, but his eyes crease in the corners to show joy. 

Shiro doesn't say anything until Keith closes his cell back up. “ _ May the stars kiss.”  _

Keith somehow finds a smile, “Goodnight, Shiro.” Keith watches Shiro curl up on the floor- grunting as he finally finds a comfortable place atop Keith’s robe. 

Keith is walking away, the lights in the prison’s corridor flicking off as Keith walks away. “Thank you,” Keith hears Shiro say, and Keith lets out a happy breath.

“It’s no problem,” Keith nearly chuckles as he leaves, hearing Shiro sigh in return. 

As Keith begins the trek back up to his room in the castle, he feels strangely warm, a sickly sweet feeling breeding in his chest. _ Such an alien feeling that Keith refuses to admit to fully.  _ He won’t admit to it, he’s going to deny it. 

Laying down in bed that night, Keith promises himself he will try and convince Allura to not kill Shiro. He’s never heard Allura even speak about the Galran boy, but, he knew that’s exactly what she wanted to do with him. 

Shutting the curtains in his room, Keith steals a look at the sky. It’s endlessly black, and filled with little twinkling pinpoints that are just suns that may be billions of years away. Lance is there somewhere. Keith knows he can find him and make things right.  Somehow, he’ll get there. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> yaya ok !! woo !!!
> 
> next chap will focus around lance and hunk ( i think ) and will be shorter probably. i had no clue how to end this 
> 
>  
> 
> thanks for reading!!!!!!!!!!!! comments are sOOO appreciated i love feedback so much !!!!
> 
> my tumblr is @ lace--prince.tumblr.com if you wanna yell at me


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